Consort Shu's face paled dramatically as she abruptly rose to her feet.
The incident involving Chuntao had stirred an overwhelming sense of foreboding in her heart.
No—she had to intercept them before the person was taken away.
The moment she stepped out of the main hall, she was met with Jiang Fusheng and the palace attendants restraining Chun Tang behind him.
Upon seeing Consort Shu, the maid cried out in panic, tears streaming down her face, "Your Highness, save me! I’ve been wronged!"
Consort Shu’s expression turned icy, her brows arching sharply as she demanded, "Eunuch Jiang, you have quite the audacity to take my people without so much as a word. Do you no longer regard this consort’s authority?"
Jiang Fusheng chuckled lightly in response. "Consort Shu misunderstands. This servant is here precisely to inform you."
He glanced back and straightened his posture. "Chun Tang has committed a crime. I am here under orders to apprehend her."
"I haven’t! I’m innocent! Your Highness, please save me!" Chun Tang struggled against her captors, but they held her firmly. She could only gaze at Consort Shu with desperate, tearful eyes.
She truly didn’t want to die.
Seeing her maid treated this way, Consort Shu suppressed her rising fury and asked, "Eunuch Jiang, might there be some misunderstanding? Chun Tang is my personal attendant—I know her better than anyone. Though she may be careless at times, she adheres strictly to palace rules. She would never commit a grave offense."
"If this is merely a minor transgression, I ask you to show leniency. I will discipline her myself."
It was common practice for palace maids’ mistakes to be handled internally by their own masters, so long as the matter wasn’t serious or publicly exposed.
Hearing this, Jiang Fusheng’s smile faded. "Your Highness may not be aware, but Chun Tang’s crime is unforgivable."
Under Consort Shu’s disbelieving gaze, he declared sternly, "She concealed forbidden drugs and is implicated in an attempt to poison an imperial consort. The evidence is irrefutable. I am acting under orders, so I beg Your Highness not to obstruct me."
"W-what?"
Consort Shu was stunned.
Every word he spoke was clear, yet together, they made no sense.
Poison an imperial consort? Concealed forbidden drugs?
She turned to Chun Tang.
Unlike her earlier panic, the maid now looked deathly pale, her eyes darting away.
A cold dread settled in Consort Shu’s heart.
Forcing a strained smile, she addressed Jiang Fusheng, "Please enlighten me, Eunuch."
Jiang Fusheng explained, "Your Highness, this maid dared to administer Xichun San to Lady Yun and even bribed an attendant to abandon their post near His Majesty."
"Her crimes are severe. Had His Majesty come to harm, not only would she face a thousand cuts, but Your Highness, the Third Prince, and even the Lu family would be implicated. It would be no less than treason."
If she could bribe those close to the Emperor, who was to say she wouldn’t next hire an assassin? And if investigated further, could it be assumed Consort Shu or the Lu family had orchestrated this? It could easily be construed as rebellion.
Consort Shu’s face drained of color. She understood the implications without needing them spelled out.
But—
"Xichun San?"
She couldn’t believe it. "Are you certain it was Xichun San?"
She knew exactly what Xichun San was.
Jiang Fusheng flicked his horsetail whisk impatiently. "Does Your Highness doubt my competence? The drug was found hidden beneath a flowerpot in her quarters, confirmed by the imperial physicians as the banned Xichun San from the previous dynasty."
"And to avoid false accusations, the palace buyer who procured it has already confessed—Chun Tang gave him a silver ingot to secretly purchase it."
With the evidence laid bare, Chun Tang trembled violently, all hope extinguished.
Consort Shu needed no further explanation.
"You—you!"
She pointed at the maid, shaking with rage, her legs unsteady as her attendants rushed to support her.
"Why would you do this?" she demanded furiously.
Xichun San was a forbidden substance, known to all in the palace. It had been concocted by the infamous Concubine Guo of the previous dynasty—a blend of deer antler, tiger’s whip, and dog bone, laced with Xichun Cao, a potent aphrodisiac from the Western Regions.
The herb was odorless and tasteless, magnifying the effects of the tonic. A mere fingernail’s worth could plunge anyone, man or woman, into uncontrollable desire.
Concubine Guo had used it to ensnare Emperor Liang, keeping him intoxicated with lust until his sudden death and the dynasty’s collapse.
Since Emperor Taizong founded the current dynasty, the drug had been strictly prohibited. Possession was punishable by death.
Yet over the decades, enforcement had slackened, and Xichun San had resurfaced in the shadows, becoming a coveted remedy for impotent men.
Rumors spread of noblemen using it to bed seven courtesans in a single night—though none would ever admit it was the drug’s doing.
Still, Consort Shu knew the stakes. She had never dreamed of resorting to such a thing.
She had only instructed Chun Tang to procure a mild tonic to lace Yun Wan’s wine before discreetly delivering her to the Emperor’s chambers.
Passion would take its course—she had been certain they wouldn’t resist.
Just days ago, she had rejoiced at her scheme’s success. Now, learning of Chun Tang’s blunder, she felt the sky collapsing around her.
"I only wanted to help Your Highness," Chun Tang pleaded.
If the Emperor already favored Yun Wan, taking her into the harem would only grant Consort Shu another rival. But if Yun Wan appeared under the influence of an aphrodisiac—behaving wantonly, leaving the impression of a scheming seductress—even if the Emperor doted on her later, he would always regard her with disdain.
Though unspoken, Consort Shu grasped her maid’s reasoning and let out a bitter laugh.
There was no saving Chun Tang now.
Closing her eyes briefly, Consort Shu reopened them with icy resolve. "Eunuch Jiang, Chun Tang’s crimes are grave. I will not shield her. Take her away."
"Your Highness!" Chun Tang cried in disbelief.
Consort Shu met her gaze coldly. "We have been mistress and servant for years. Out of loyalty, I will ensure your family is cared for."
With that, she turned her back.
Chun Tang stood frozen, her face ashen.
"...This servant thanks Your Highness. Serving you has been my life’s honor."
Then she was led away.
Where none could see, Consort Shu’s eyes reddened.
Chun Tang had acted for her sake, yet she couldn’t protect her.
Her elderly matron sighed softly, stepping forward to console her. "Your Highness, calm yourself—do not harm your health. At least Chun Tang remained loyal and did not implicate you."
That was why Consort Shu said, "Tomorrow, arrange a coffin for her burial and send extra silver to her family."
It was the least she could do to honor their bond.
Yet she seethed with hatred—if not for Yun Wan, Chun Tang would still be alive.
So what if she had been dosed with an aphrodisiac? Nothing had happened to her. Why must the Emperor insist on punishment?
